1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a wiper plate for a cleaning implement, in particular for damp and wet mopping. More particularly, the invention is a wiper plate having an essentially flat cleaning surface, and having first facilities for fastening a handle and second facilities for the detachable fastening of an interchangeable mopping covering. The invention also relates to a cleaning implement having the wiper plate as such, as well as the use of the wiper plate for a cleaning implement.
2. Description of Related Art
Cleaning implements having wiper plates of the species have long been known, and have been described many times in the patent literature, such as in DE 44 03 550 C1. They are essentially made up of a wiper plate functioning as support and holding device for an interchangeable mopping covering, the mopping covering itself, as well as a handle which may be connected to the wiper plate articulatedly or rigidly. The known possibilities for fastening are manifold, and likewise are numerous techniques known for fastening the mopping covering or for its design.
The wiper plates are rectangular, as a rule, but are also designed trapezoidal-shaped. All wiper plates of the species have in common that the surface of the wiper plate facing the floor to be cleaned, from here on called cleaning surface, for simplicity's sake, is predominantly designed to be flat. The reason for this is that the optical impression of a cleaned surface is essentially determined by the evening out of the water film by the cleaning implement during cleaning.
An uneven distribution of the water film invariably leads to the formation of streaks on the cleaned floor, which become visible after drying. These so-called cleaning streaks are generally felt to be irritating. An effective measure for preventing the formation of these streaks is to design the wiper surface of the wiper plate as flat as possible.
The known cleaning implements having wiper plates of the species have the disadvantage that loosening of tough (stubborn) dirt, such as firmly adhering dirt, marks left by shoes, dried food remains, etc, is very difficult. Even when the contact pressure is increased via the handle, tough dirt comes off only after mopping several times, frequently with dirt residues still remaining, which then still have to be subsequently removed using a more suitable cleaning implement or by hand.